Slog
News & ArtsSaturday, March 16, 2013
LGBTQITSLFA Destroying Traditional Families One Bundt Cake At a Time
Posted by Dan Savage on Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 1:53 PM
This morning's gay agenda: wake and bake a cinnamon/apple/walnut cake for our straight neighbors and their four kids. The dad had surgery earlier this week and is on bed rest. He's an amazing cook and he bakes the most delicious treats for his kids on the weekend. On the surface, of course, this looks like a thoughtful gesture—we didn't want his wife or kids to go without fresh-baked treats while dad is laid up—but the Traditional Values Coalition sees this bundt cake for what it really is. Just another assault on the traditional family. This one with a light dusting a powdered sugar. (Get well soon, John!)
The recipe is here.
2
You should sub ground flaxseed for eggs in baked goods. Who wants an omelette in their sweet cake? There's no reason eggs are still in baking recipes except for adherence to traditional recipe values.
5
No, seriously, that cake looks awesome. Also how dare you attack the traditional argle bargle blargh argh.
8
Curse you Gay People & your delicious Breakfast Treats! You win this round! But one day Closed Minded Values Man shall return to fight against your attractive fashion, sensible advice and tasty cooking!
::shakes fist in dismay::
::shakes fist in dismay::
9
@2: Also, eggs are easier than dealing with making up flaxseed goo, you don't have to re-learn recipes or worry about how much to use, they're cheaper and more readily available, and unlike flaxseed they aren't known to have a laxative effect.
Substitutions like that are great for vegans, people with food allergies, and people on dietary restrictions, and I'm sincerely happy that a decent egg substitute for baked goods has been found for those people. Trying to get the rest of us to convert when there's no benefit in it, though, is just tilting at windmills.
Substitutions like that are great for vegans, people with food allergies, and people on dietary restrictions, and I'm sincerely happy that a decent egg substitute for baked goods has been found for those people. Trying to get the rest of us to convert when there's no benefit in it, though, is just tilting at windmills.
12
Really, @2? A political message in your account icon? I bet your bicycle has bumper stickers, too.
13
Be careful Dan. The Japanese have a plot to turn gay guys straight. They have a strawberry cream bread that looks like a cluster of vaginas.
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/japan…
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/japan…
15
I feel like going out to an orgy and practicing sodomy. Hope the wife wants to as well. Thanks Dan. I'll ven smoke a pole for you bud!
16
9: Flaxseeds don't have a laxative effect - they have FIBER, which is the most damaging and most common nutrient deficiency in omnivores (because no animal products contain fiber).
Flaxseeds are one of the few foods that have omega-3's, which are extemely important for health, and the only good sources are some fish oils and some seeds (of which flaxseed is the only one you can find everywhere).
Eggs, on the other hand, are full of saturated fat and trans fat and cholesterol, and make baked goods taste like omelettes.
Ground flaxseed is much easier to prepare than eggs, which need to be fresh. Keep ground flaxseed (either brought ground or placed in a grinder) in a bag or jar in the fridge. It'll last forever. Put 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp of water in your wet ingredients bowl for each egg. Mix your dry ingredients in another bowl. By the time you're ready to add the rest of your wet ingredients to the flaxseed bowl, the ground flaxseed will gel up and be a perfect egg substitute for baking - except healthy instead of fatty, and takes like delicious nuts/grains instead of like you accidentally dropped some leftover Moons Over My Hammy in your bundt or muffin tin.
Flaxseeds are one of the few foods that have omega-3's, which are extemely important for health, and the only good sources are some fish oils and some seeds (of which flaxseed is the only one you can find everywhere).
Eggs, on the other hand, are full of saturated fat and trans fat and cholesterol, and make baked goods taste like omelettes.
Ground flaxseed is much easier to prepare than eggs, which need to be fresh. Keep ground flaxseed (either brought ground or placed in a grinder) in a bag or jar in the fridge. It'll last forever. Put 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp of water in your wet ingredients bowl for each egg. Mix your dry ingredients in another bowl. By the time you're ready to add the rest of your wet ingredients to the flaxseed bowl, the ground flaxseed will gel up and be a perfect egg substitute for baking - except healthy instead of fatty, and takes like delicious nuts/grains instead of like you accidentally dropped some leftover Moons Over My Hammy in your bundt or muffin tin.
17
Also, flaxseed is much cheaper than eggs. Bob's Red Mill Organic ground flaxseed meal is about $4 a pound, equal to about 100 eggs. Bulk flaxseeds you ground yourself are $1-$2 per pound.
18
You know, Dan, I’ve never had a problem with your doorknob licking, pegging promotion, bi-phobic, vagina-hatin’ ways. But bringing baked goods into your perversions is a kink too far. Expect a letter campaign.
19
Will no one remark that a Bundt cake, with a hole right in the middle, is not only the gayest of cakes, but clearly designed to lead even the most righteous astray?
That said, it looks delicious, doesn't it?
That said, it looks delicious, doesn't it?
21
@19 Bundt pans have to be the most Coffee Klatchy, Upper Midwest things out there. It was created by a bunch of middle age Jewish women from Hassadah in I believe Minneapolis in the 1950s. They needed a pan that help evenly cooked cakes, as they complained about of course the middle not being properly cooked..
22
@16: What baked goods are you eating that taste like omelettes? I've never had that problem. A problem I have had with the flax substitution is crumbly and/or flat baked goods, which is why I use eggs which make for a fluffy, beautiful crumb.
26
@16, do yourself a favor. eat some eggs. eat some butter. read michael pollan and nina planck. stop being an idiot.
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2011/04/g…
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2011/04/g…
27
Maggie Gallagher understands that Dan and his bundt cake are undermining the powerful ideal of masculinity that points men toward marriage and fatherhood. Seriously, why would a little boy want to grow up to be John Wayne or Ward Clever when society says it is OK for him to suck cocks and bake cakes instead?
If your in the mood for some unintentional humor you can read Maggie's 'Farewell to Optimism' here:
http://townhall.com/columnists/maggiegal…
If your in the mood for some unintentional humor you can read Maggie's 'Farewell to Optimism' here:
http://townhall.com/columnists/maggiegal…
28
@26, you don't understand. Raku is one of our resident Vegan Zealots. I'm sure you know the type — it's not enough that they don't eat animal protein, the rest of the world shouldn't either.
Now excuse me while I eat dinner. My veal parmesan is almost done.
Now excuse me while I eat dinner. My veal parmesan is almost done.
29
@16: If your baked goods taste like an omelette your baking skills clearly need some work.... I like flax seed in certain applications but eggs are and always will be the superior choice for baking. Besides, I've got 25 hens out back. What else am I going to do with all those eggs?
31
This is so insidious Mr Savage, because you know even the Children will want some. Think of the Children!
33
Submitted without comment: My friend loves baking, and sharing "tunnel of fudge cake." It is also baked in a bundt pan.
34
#26: Flaxseeds follow all of Michael Pollan's food rules, including his most famous: "Eat mostly plants." He has written at length about the importance of omega-3's. Nina Planck has also written numerous times recommending flaxseeds (ground or oil). My favorite nutritionist-author (also not a vegetarian) is Marion Nestle, and she also has recommended flaxseeds numerous times.
I also didn't write a thing about the butter in Dan's recipe, because there really isn't much benefit from going to butter to a quality margarine (like Earth Balance), except for the dairy cows or if you want to be dietary restriction-friendly. Ground flaxseed is just superior to eggs in health, taste, cost, and texture in most baking recipes, though.
#22: If flaxseeds aren't causing enough fluffiness, replace 1 of the eggs with 1 tbsp of extra baking powder. If you want it to be extra moist, replace 1 of the eggs with 1/4 cup of applesauce or banana (depending on what flavor you want).
It's slightly more advanced baking that takes experimentation, but once you figure out some basics, you'll have better baked goods than if you use eggs, which are traditionally used as a "one size fits all" for baked goods which add moisture when it's not needed, leavening when it's not needed, binding when it's not needed, savory taste when it's not needed, fat when it's not needed, etc.
#29: Your next batch of muffins or cookies or whatnot, try making half with eggs and half flaxseed. You'll notice the eggy taste in the eggy baked goods that isn't present with the ground flaxseed. You may not notice it right now if you're used to eggs in all of your treats.
I also didn't write a thing about the butter in Dan's recipe, because there really isn't much benefit from going to butter to a quality margarine (like Earth Balance), except for the dairy cows or if you want to be dietary restriction-friendly. Ground flaxseed is just superior to eggs in health, taste, cost, and texture in most baking recipes, though.
#22: If flaxseeds aren't causing enough fluffiness, replace 1 of the eggs with 1 tbsp of extra baking powder. If you want it to be extra moist, replace 1 of the eggs with 1/4 cup of applesauce or banana (depending on what flavor you want).
It's slightly more advanced baking that takes experimentation, but once you figure out some basics, you'll have better baked goods than if you use eggs, which are traditionally used as a "one size fits all" for baked goods which add moisture when it's not needed, leavening when it's not needed, binding when it's not needed, savory taste when it's not needed, fat when it's not needed, etc.
#29: Your next batch of muffins or cookies or whatnot, try making half with eggs and half flaxseed. You'll notice the eggy taste in the eggy baked goods that isn't present with the ground flaxseed. You may not notice it right now if you're used to eggs in all of your treats.
35
Very sweet of you. I hope your neighbor heals quickly.
Me, I let my Irish side rule with a Whisky-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake. Next it will be Chocolate and Guinness Cupcakes with Baileys Irish Cream Frosting.
Me, I let my Irish side rule with a Whisky-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake. Next it will be Chocolate and Guinness Cupcakes with Baileys Irish Cream Frosting.
36
As the defense of marriage act is already on the rocks, you might as well push my teetering hetero marriage over the edge and send us one of those cakes, eggs please, I'll save the flax seed for my granola.
37
@2 - I reread Dan's post, and I notice he never once mentions using any animal products in his cake. At least now I feel somehow justified in resenting your unsolicited moralizing. I, for one, do want an omelette in my baked goods, but thank you for the long-winded, unasked-for advice.
39
Good godz, can someone shut the vegan twit up? I do have my dumbfuck stick. Dan, that is an evil thing to do. What if they had all decided to cut out sweets in an effort to eat healthier? You should have given that cake to me.
41
@34, you're right, i was taking an assumptive leap about your opposition to butter, even if you didn't mention it specifically. I would disagree with you about earth balance, though. both pollan and planck disparage the use of partially hydrogenated oils, which even the "best" butter alternatives contain, by definition.
also, the omega-3s in flax is fundamentally different than that found in fish, and does not provide the same complete nutritional benefits. both pollan and planck talk about this; you have to go a bit deeper than his rules, though.
i was more commenting on the overall tone of your advice, which seemed to condescend to those who prefer eggs in their baking. and i did make some assumptions based on your avatar. i shouldn't assume ALL vegans are inherently holier-than-thou and misinformed proselytizers. my bad.
also, the omega-3s in flax is fundamentally different than that found in fish, and does not provide the same complete nutritional benefits. both pollan and planck talk about this; you have to go a bit deeper than his rules, though.
i was more commenting on the overall tone of your advice, which seemed to condescend to those who prefer eggs in their baking. and i did make some assumptions based on your avatar. i shouldn't assume ALL vegans are inherently holier-than-thou and misinformed proselytizers. my bad.
42
#37: Dan posted the recipe, and I commented with what I thought was an improvement. Like I mentioned, I didn't comment at all on the butter in the recipe or try to convince anyone to turn vegan. I didn't do any moralizing whatsoever.
I post moralizing comments on appropriate threads (animal welfare, etc). I post recipe comments on recipe threads. I wasn't aware Slog comments needed to be specifically solicited beyond that.
I post moralizing comments on appropriate threads (animal welfare, etc). I post recipe comments on recipe threads. I wasn't aware Slog comments needed to be specifically solicited beyond that.
43
Flax can't replace egg whites in an angel food cake. Flax is nasty in baked goods, especially vegan ones. Makes everything gritty and have an unpleasantly fudgy texture because it can't hold air or emulsify the same way that eggs can. And yes, raku, I've acquired flax substituted bakery products from reputable vegan bakers, even some award-winning ones. Still gross.
That cake looks awesome, Dan. Do you use Baker's Joy or copious quantities of fat to get your cakes to come out of the pan so cleanly? You have a lucky neighbor (at least as far as gifts of baked goods go).
That cake looks awesome, Dan. Do you use Baker's Joy or copious quantities of fat to get your cakes to come out of the pan so cleanly? You have a lucky neighbor (at least as far as gifts of baked goods go).
44
@ raku, when you have to lie that baked goods with eggs tastes like eggs, you've already lost.
Good vegans should just eat Asian food, instead of tarting up European food with inferior substitutions.
Good vegans should just eat Asian food, instead of tarting up European food with inferior substitutions.
45
So in the future, when we all accept everyone's sexualities, apparently we will still critique each others' diet.
Because what fun is life if you can't feel morally superior?
Because what fun is life if you can't feel morally superior?
46
#40: Recipe says "butter for greasing pan".
#41: Earth Balance and other quality margarines don't contain any trans fat or partially hydrogenated oils. Coconut margarine is a great product too, which is naturally creamy with no trans fat.
I don't know if Michael Pollan ever talked about flax specifically, but he does recommend eating chicken fed on flaxseeds, because the chicken retains the omega-3's from flax. Nina Planck specifically recommended flaxseed at least 10 times in her books. She only said that fish oil is better for new mothers, because fish oil contains a lot more omega-3, which she thinks is necessary for nursing.
Science says flaxseed oil or ground (not whole) flaxseed has almost all the benefits of fish oil, except around reducing inflammation, which might be some other characteristic of fish oil besides omega-3's. I'm not denying fish or fish oil is healthy, it clearly is the most overall healthy animal product. But we're talking about eggs vs. flax, not fish oil vs. flax (don't put fish oil in your baked goods).
#43/#44: I guess that's your taste if you like eggs more than seeds, but clearly eggs taste like eggs. It's bizarre to convince yourself otherwise.
Flax isn't gritty if you use it correctly. It should be ground into flour/meal, with the same grittiness as wheat flour, and gels up when left in water for a few minutes, so it's less gritty than any of the dry ingredients. Maybe you are trying gluten-free vegan products, which are often grittier due to lack of gluten binding. I've never made angel food cake so I don't know, but I said above "most" - I'm sure there are some baked goods that were made for featuring eggs.
Good vegan (eggless) bakers are winning overall baking competitions, not just vegan ones. Removing eggs makes most baked goods better.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/17…
More...
#41: Earth Balance and other quality margarines don't contain any trans fat or partially hydrogenated oils. Coconut margarine is a great product too, which is naturally creamy with no trans fat.
I don't know if Michael Pollan ever talked about flax specifically, but he does recommend eating chicken fed on flaxseeds, because the chicken retains the omega-3's from flax. Nina Planck specifically recommended flaxseed at least 10 times in her books. She only said that fish oil is better for new mothers, because fish oil contains a lot more omega-3, which she thinks is necessary for nursing.
Science says flaxseed oil or ground (not whole) flaxseed has almost all the benefits of fish oil, except around reducing inflammation, which might be some other characteristic of fish oil besides omega-3's. I'm not denying fish or fish oil is healthy, it clearly is the most overall healthy animal product. But we're talking about eggs vs. flax, not fish oil vs. flax (don't put fish oil in your baked goods).
#43/#44: I guess that's your taste if you like eggs more than seeds, but clearly eggs taste like eggs. It's bizarre to convince yourself otherwise.
Flax isn't gritty if you use it correctly. It should be ground into flour/meal, with the same grittiness as wheat flour, and gels up when left in water for a few minutes, so it's less gritty than any of the dry ingredients. Maybe you are trying gluten-free vegan products, which are often grittier due to lack of gluten binding. I've never made angel food cake so I don't know, but I said above "most" - I'm sure there are some baked goods that were made for featuring eggs.
Good vegan (eggless) bakers are winning overall baking competitions, not just vegan ones. Removing eggs makes most baked goods better.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/17…
47
@ 38 My pleasure!
Chocolate and Guinness Cupcakes with Baileys Irish Cream Frosting: http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.…
Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/dining…
Enjoy!
Chocolate and Guinness Cupcakes with Baileys Irish Cream Frosting: http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.…
Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/dining…
Enjoy!
49
Eggs don't taste like eggs in baked goods. The fact that they comprise 1-3% of the ingredients kinda explains that. Their complete incorporation into flour and other ingredients does, too. Even in eggy goods like challah you taste the butter, but the eggs? Not anything like you describe.
50
@ 48
And talcum to flour, too?
I'm too tame or I am enjoying the booze too much and stick with unsalted butter and flour. You're a good neighbor.
And talcum to flour, too?
I'm too tame or I am enjoying the booze too much and stick with unsalted butter and flour. You're a good neighbor.
52
I personally assaulted the values of every house on my block this year when my four grapefruit trees produced enough goodies to feed, well, an entire block. I've been dealing free grapefruit for eleven years and was giving away avocados until a storm destroyed my tree (and my patio roof). Next year I'll be adding lemons to the mix and my neighbors won't know what hit them. Now you know what they call us 'fruits'.
53
Whew. Just when I couldn't stand raku's moralizing a minute longer, and was about to launch into a serious rant, Dan @48 chimes in with a perfect response. Zing!
Humor restored. Thanks, Dan!
Humor restored. Thanks, Dan!
54
@46 "Removing eggs makes most baked goods better."
NO IT DOESN'T. Look, you may not have been preaching veganism, but you're telling everyone that they've been doing baked goods all wrong, which is, at best, incredibly annoying. Flaxseed has many virtues, but it's not an adequate substitute for an egg, and none of your suggestions change that. Adding baking powder to a recipe most definitely alters the flavor. Flaxseed tastes like fucking flaxseed. And how exactly can flax take the place of beaten egg whites?
Also, I'd like to join the commenters who've wondered what the hell kind of baked goods you've been eating if they taste like an omelet.
NO IT DOESN'T. Look, you may not have been preaching veganism, but you're telling everyone that they've been doing baked goods all wrong, which is, at best, incredibly annoying. Flaxseed has many virtues, but it's not an adequate substitute for an egg, and none of your suggestions change that. Adding baking powder to a recipe most definitely alters the flavor. Flaxseed tastes like fucking flaxseed. And how exactly can flax take the place of beaten egg whites?
Also, I'd like to join the commenters who've wondered what the hell kind of baked goods you've been eating if they taste like an omelet.
55
@48
Oh, Dan, you made me CACKLE with unrestrained glee!
Though, if your yummy offering weren't enough to shatter the foundations of TM (traditional marriage), you also baked it during Lent which places you in double jeopardy - at least with the cindy bigots.
P.S. You are a very caring neighbour.
P.P.S. I haven't been feeling well. Will you send me a cake to Canada?
Oh, Dan, you made me CACKLE with unrestrained glee!
Though, if your yummy offering weren't enough to shatter the foundations of TM (traditional marriage), you also baked it during Lent which places you in double jeopardy - at least with the cindy bigots.
P.S. You are a very caring neighbour.
P.P.S. I haven't been feeling well. Will you send me a cake to Canada?
56
54: It's so weird that people are honestly saying that 3 eggs taste like nothing, but 3 tbsp of flaxseed or 1 tbsp of baking powder tastes like poison or something. Flaxseed is actually better for replacing egg whites than whole eggs, since the consistency of gelled ground flaxseed is nearly identical to egg whites.
Even the New York Times food column says flaxseed creates just as good baked goods as eggs. I don't agree, I think the flaxseed taste is better in almost all baked goods, and has a better consistency, not to mention much healthier.
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2…
48: Great, all good lubes are already vegan. :)
Even the New York Times food column says flaxseed creates just as good baked goods as eggs. I don't agree, I think the flaxseed taste is better in almost all baked goods, and has a better consistency, not to mention much healthier.
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2…
48: Great, all good lubes are already vegan. :)
57
It is very important when we do a kind deed to publisize the fact as widely as possible.
It is the humanist way.
It is the humanist way.
59
@ 56, that's the magic of eggs. Besides the lift, texture, and elmulsifying properties, they blend so thoroughly that their flavor is well masked. You can't say that about flax.
In your vegan zeal you have convinced yourself that flax tastes good and adds a pleasing texture to baked goods. Bully for you. But saying you can still taste eggs in cake like you're eating an omlette is just bullshit.
In your vegan zeal you have convinced yourself that flax tastes good and adds a pleasing texture to baked goods. Bully for you. But saying you can still taste eggs in cake like you're eating an omlette is just bullshit.
60
What is Slog coming to? Used to be our recipes-for-straight-neighbors threads would get hijacked only by the testier bisexuals or an occasional Fat Acceptantista. Now we have flax lobbyists setting up camp. Honestly.
61
#59: Just try it. Make a batch of any baked good, 1/2 with eggs and 1/2 with flax. I guarantee you you will taste the eggs in the eggy bunch compared with the flax. I think most American omnivores are so used to animal umami flavor in everything, they just assume it's what all food tastes like.
Whenever I take a chance with a baked good and it has eggs, I taste it immediately. There's no magic "blending" that makes eggs disappear when you bake them, which is why eggs are used for flavor in quiches and souffles and other baked savory dishes. It's the reason custard takes much different than ice cream.
#60: I'd give it up after one comment, but Slog gets so defensive about even considering changing their animal product intake whatsoever. Do you think anyone would say anything but "hmm, whatever" if I recommended pears instead of apples?
-Registered flax lobbyist & fat acceptanista
Whenever I take a chance with a baked good and it has eggs, I taste it immediately. There's no magic "blending" that makes eggs disappear when you bake them, which is why eggs are used for flavor in quiches and souffles and other baked savory dishes. It's the reason custard takes much different than ice cream.
#60: I'd give it up after one comment, but Slog gets so defensive about even considering changing their animal product intake whatsoever. Do you think anyone would say anything but "hmm, whatever" if I recommended pears instead of apples?
-Registered flax lobbyist & fat acceptanista
65
Double-blind test on egg vs flaxseed baked goods at the next Slog Happy -- I demand it! No more arguing. I refuse to take sides until this is tested fairly. I'm actually curious about the answer too.
66
@raku, I appreciate knowing about the flaxseed substitute, my sister and I are making cupcakes for a little boy who is allergic to eggs and anything derived from corn (no baking powder, it contains cornstarch).
67
Even if baked goods taste like eggs (which they don't), eggs are delicious, and they take other flavors well. They aren't necessarily savory. Try some scrambled with sugar and cinnamon. Also: french toast, which DOES taste like eggs and is practically dessert.
68
#66: You're welcome, thank you for a positive comment finally :). Another tip: You can use 1 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp cream of tartar to replace 1 tbsp of baking powder. I actually prefer this even though I eat corn, because corn starch is just a filler in baking powder. Cream of tartar is the acidic "active ingredient" in most baking powder and is made from grapes (byproduct of winemaking, but not alcoholic) and is available in most spice sections, and definitely at any food co-op or Whole Foods. Tapioca starch is a perfect replacement for corn starch in other applications, and still pretty cheap.
#65: I'd volunteer but I'm pretty sure I'd get rage murdered if I showed up at a Slog Happy. Maybe Megan would volunteer to make a half batch of flax cupcakes? It's especially good in chocolatey baked goods.
#65: I'd volunteer but I'm pretty sure I'd get rage murdered if I showed up at a Slog Happy. Maybe Megan would volunteer to make a half batch of flax cupcakes? It's especially good in chocolatey baked goods.
71
@Dan love these quotidien slices of your life! Keep them coming! I miss the urinal pics when you were on the road, snaps of weird fat people in first class, odd phallic buildings, urinal pics (a personal kink) -- are you not seeing interesting stuff lately?
@2 @68: I enjoyed your comment on "traditional recipe values" it was cute and to the point, and appreciated you taking the time to explain about flax although I prefer eggs -- both taste good to me, just different.
As to why so many h8 comments, just think, vegan is what being gay was in the 60s. Except you won't get arrested and vegan establishments are not raided by the police.
@2 @68: I enjoyed your comment on "traditional recipe values" it was cute and to the point, and appreciated you taking the time to explain about flax although I prefer eggs -- both taste good to me, just different.
As to why so many h8 comments, just think, vegan is what being gay was in the 60s. Except you won't get arrested and vegan establishments are not raided by the police.
72
We've been passing out homemade cookies and other goodies as our Christmas gifts to the neighbors (and the vet, and the groomer, and coworkers….) for years. Odd that I never made the connection that we were assaulting the Traditional Family.
But hey, marriage equality is teetering on the edge of passing here. If only I'd gone with my gut and made those salted caramels last Christmas, passage would be assured!
Damn.
But hey, marriage equality is teetering on the edge of passing here. If only I'd gone with my gut and made those salted caramels last Christmas, passage would be assured!
Damn.
75
As a somewhat neutral observer of this comment thread, I would say that the anti-flax people are WAY more annoying than raku. The level of defensiveness and churlishness in those anti-flax comments far surpasses her relatively gentle suggestions.
Y'all sound like a lot of the wingers at CPAC afraid someone is going to take your Big Gulp away.
Oh, and Dan: Thanks for the recipe and baking stuff for your friends.
Y'all sound like a lot of the wingers at CPAC afraid someone is going to take your Big Gulp away.
Oh, and Dan: Thanks for the recipe and baking stuff for your friends.
76
@ 75, click on raku's name and read some "gentle" comments from other threads. This is not a nice person.
77
@2 Thanks for all the baking tips! I agree with you that eggs impart a savory/sulfury flavor.
Vegan baked goods have come so far in the past years. The cakes and brownies of 5+ years ago are precisely what all the non-vegans here fear: grainy, chalky, overly-dense health food. But the vegan treats of today are absolutely amazing! Just go for those that aren't marketed as healthy (although there is a place for those too).
I've tried baked goods with and without eggs and prefer the non-eggy ones 100%. The flavors you actually want from a dessert are allowed to really shine and taste so much cleaner.
Vegan baked goods have come so far in the past years. The cakes and brownies of 5+ years ago are precisely what all the non-vegans here fear: grainy, chalky, overly-dense health food. But the vegan treats of today are absolutely amazing! Just go for those that aren't marketed as healthy (although there is a place for those too).
I've tried baked goods with and without eggs and prefer the non-eggy ones 100%. The flavors you actually want from a dessert are allowed to really shine and taste so much cleaner.
78
The blowback oagainst raku comes from her silly, hyperbolic assertion that baked goods made with eggs tastes like an omelet. That's just dumb.
When you salt that dumb statement with her irritating self-righteousness, she becomes as to vegans what PETA members are to animal rights believers.
When you salt that dumb statement with her irritating self-righteousness, she becomes as to vegans what PETA members are to animal rights believers.
79
Flax tastes good, but so do eggs. Flax is good for you, but so are eggs, in a different way. Too many eggs are bad, too much flax is bad, especially for pregnant women, menopausal women.
raku, I disagree strongly that baked goods that contain eggs taste like omelettes, but yes, the eggs can be tasted - and that's why we like using them, because we like the taste. If you charge in with "tastes like omelettes" as if that's a bad thing, of course everyone who thinks omelettes taste good is going to disagree with you. If you really were not being confrontational, you could have said "For those with egg allergies, or who want to use fewer eggs because of taste, dietary concerns, etc, you can also use flax blah blah...." You didn't, and now got what you wanted. Don't try to pretend there was no confrontation there, though.
raku, I disagree strongly that baked goods that contain eggs taste like omelettes, but yes, the eggs can be tasted - and that's why we like using them, because we like the taste. If you charge in with "tastes like omelettes" as if that's a bad thing, of course everyone who thinks omelettes taste good is going to disagree with you. If you really were not being confrontational, you could have said "For those with egg allergies, or who want to use fewer eggs because of taste, dietary concerns, etc, you can also use flax blah blah...." You didn't, and now got what you wanted. Don't try to pretend there was no confrontation there, though.
83
For Cakes, and especially Dan's Bundt cake he made on Saturday, I would used applesauce than flax seed as an egg substitute. Flax seed would work for something heavier and dense like cookies, but it is texture that is important for a cake.
Also, I am in the school of trying a recipe a couple times verbatim, before toying around and substituting certain material. Much Iike I would put use pear as a substitute for Apple, or hazelnuts instead of walnuts etc.
I am not the biggest fan of eggs, but I never had a problem with a dessert recipe being "eggy", I have had recipe issues when I substitute eggs with apple sauce or other binders, mainly texture.
If eggs are a problem, whether for a food allergy or making it for a vegan, than there are plenty of great desserts from great cuisines like Moraccan and Japanese that don't need eggs, (just a huge amount of sugar and rose water0
Also, I am in the school of trying a recipe a couple times verbatim, before toying around and substituting certain material. Much Iike I would put use pear as a substitute for Apple, or hazelnuts instead of walnuts etc.
I am not the biggest fan of eggs, but I never had a problem with a dessert recipe being "eggy", I have had recipe issues when I substitute eggs with apple sauce or other binders, mainly texture.
If eggs are a problem, whether for a food allergy or making it for a vegan, than there are plenty of great desserts from great cuisines like Moraccan and Japanese that don't need eggs, (just a huge amount of sugar and rose water0
84
@71/75: Dealing with self-righteous vegan preaching gets old real quick when every vegan one encounters is a more outspoken, aggressive, and condescending proselytizer than the most fervent Christian zealot. I've been told I'm a bad person for not being a vegan almost as many times as I've been told I'm going to hell for not being a Christian, and I don't seek out conversations on either topic.
Nobody has a problem with vegans in and of themselves. Lots of people have a problem with vegans telling non-vegans what to eat.
Nobody has a problem with vegans in and of themselves. Lots of people have a problem with vegans telling non-vegans what to eat.
85
@82: Ice cream does not generally contain eggs. Frozen custard makes them a primary ingredient.
Raku was actually right about this one. Stopped clock and all that.
Raku was actually right about this one. Stopped clock and all that.
86
@Raku:
1. Comments from other vegans on other sites confirm that too much flaxseed will cause gastrointestinal unpleasantness.
2. I get my fiber from eating lots of fruits and veggies. I don't need to get it from CAKE.
3. The nutritive value of animal products varies widely based on the animals' diets. Chickens fed on specific diets (which, yes, include flaxseed) produce eggs that are much higher than normal in Omega-3, and are marketed as such.
4. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol, but low in saturated fat (which has a more causal relationship with serum cholesterol than does dietary cholesterol) and entirely devoid of trans fats. Egg whites are devoid of all three.
5. Flaxseed (again, according to other vegans) lasts about three months in the fridge, and adds more steps in prep. That is a far cry from your claim that it lasts "forever" and is "easier" than using eggs. Point of note, though eggs don't last as long, I've never had eggs go bad in my fridge.
Please get your facts straight before trying to get the rest of us to change our diets.
1. Comments from other vegans on other sites confirm that too much flaxseed will cause gastrointestinal unpleasantness.
2. I get my fiber from eating lots of fruits and veggies. I don't need to get it from CAKE.
3. The nutritive value of animal products varies widely based on the animals' diets. Chickens fed on specific diets (which, yes, include flaxseed) produce eggs that are much higher than normal in Omega-3, and are marketed as such.
4. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol, but low in saturated fat (which has a more causal relationship with serum cholesterol than does dietary cholesterol) and entirely devoid of trans fats. Egg whites are devoid of all three.
5. Flaxseed (again, according to other vegans) lasts about three months in the fridge, and adds more steps in prep. That is a far cry from your claim that it lasts "forever" and is "easier" than using eggs. Point of note, though eggs don't last as long, I've never had eggs go bad in my fridge.
Please get your facts straight before trying to get the rest of us to change our diets.
87
@85 A lot of ice cream uses egg yolks. Pick up a pint of Haagen Dazs and look at the list of ingredients. Or Ben and Jerry's.
88
@ 75 - I'm with you on that. I baked blueberry muffins this morning after reading the first few posts in this comments thread and I used flax powder instead of an egg. The muffins are quite yummy, thank you very much, and I frankly don't see why everyone is so upset. Is it that horrible to try new things?
89
@88, The problem people are having isn't about flax per se. There's nothing wrong with flax, and I've used it myself with good results. What's pissing people off is Raku telling everyone they should eliminate eggs from their baking.
90
@71, vegans is what being gay was in the 60s? WTF? where the hell do you get that parallel? there is NOTHING that compares those. there are so many things wrong with that i'm not sure where to start. how about, oh, i don't know, not a single human being is born vegan? not one. veganism is, quite literally, unnatural for humans. in fact, you might say that veganism is the OPPOSITE of being gay in that sense. it is a choice. and proselytizers in the vegan community are about 1000% more prevalent, annoying, and militant than any you may find in the LGBT community.
hardly anyone has admonished raku for being vegan. the issues being taken are with her insistence of having the moral superiority, and not accepting other's opinions as valid (even about something as simple as baked goods), no matter what their reasons.
please don't make stupid comparisons like that. it's very offensive.
hardly anyone has admonished raku for being vegan. the issues being taken are with her insistence of having the moral superiority, and not accepting other's opinions as valid (even about something as simple as baked goods), no matter what their reasons.
please don't make stupid comparisons like that. it's very offensive.
91
@ 89 - Meh, the spirit in which it seemed to be intended (at least to me) was to suggest an alternative that Raku herself likes. No one would have been up in arms if she had suggested pears in lieu of apples or almonds in place of walnuts. Heck, she could have even suggested in all sincerity that the cake would be better had it been wrapped in bacon and deep fried and no one would have taken the suggestion as a personal attack.
92
@91, Raku wrote:
"You should sub ground flaxseed for eggs in baked goods. Who wants an omelette in their sweet cake? There's no reason eggs are still in baking recipes except for adherence to traditional recipe values."
She's not making suggestions for one cake, and she's not making suggestions for things that she likes. She's not making helpful suggestions so that people know there are alternatives to eggs (most people would not object to that at all). In all of her comments she is very explicitly telling people that they shouldn't bake with eggs.
"You should sub ground flaxseed for eggs in baked goods. Who wants an omelette in their sweet cake? There's no reason eggs are still in baking recipes except for adherence to traditional recipe values."
She's not making suggestions for one cake, and she's not making suggestions for things that she likes. She's not making helpful suggestions so that people know there are alternatives to eggs (most people would not object to that at all). In all of her comments she is very explicitly telling people that they shouldn't bake with eggs.
93
@Raku, I'm not vegan but your suggestions are really interesting. I love both eggs and flaxseed, but I'd like to try incorporating less animal products in my food. This is the first I've heard about subbing flaxseed for eggs. Thanks for the suggestions.
94
@ 92 - It's interesting that you were more offended by the last sentence than by the second sentence. Personally, I thought the middle sentence was more rude (but I took it as a rather poor attempt at humor). But my point stands. You wouldn't be nearly as bothered had someone written:
There's no reason bacon isn't in all baking recipes except for adherence to traditional recipe values.
You might have rolled your eyes but I can't imagine you would have taken it as a person attack. It wouldn't have derailed a thread about Dan's lovely gesture and yummy cake.
There's no reason bacon isn't in all baking recipes except for adherence to traditional recipe values.
You might have rolled your eyes but I can't imagine you would have taken it as a person attack. It wouldn't have derailed a thread about Dan's lovely gesture and yummy cake.
96
@94, i'm with matt, it's all about context. suggesting alternatives for eggs (or any other ingredients) is fine if there is sound reasoning behind it. i'm lactose intolerant, and i have actually used bacon grease for baked goods (for the record: they did NOT taste like bacon, but they were delicious). raku was insinuating that anyone who would dare to cook with poor little innocent unfertilized chicken fetuses is worse than a serial killer (she's said so outright in other threads). she's turning a cake into a moralist issue.
97
I want to move to Seattle and be your neighbor. I'm straight but am absolutely a fan of the gay agenda.
98
Dan: way to be a good neighbor. :) We're in synch this weekend: I made nut-flour cookies & kale chips to take to a pal who just had surgery. (Zimmesterne, BTW, are delicious, German cookie w/ cinnamon & almonds..I varied by adding ground hazelnuts as well.) The gay agenda in my life has usually involved something caloric. & then those damn gays take up all the treadmills at the gym! :D
99
RE: the Flax/Egg debate: I cook/bake, a lot. Been in a kitchen since I was 6 or so. Bundt cakes, I've only got into making the past year. Best one is a variant of a Martha Stewart lemon Bundt. Here's that, & a banana-chocolate Bundt I made up:
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9007/ca…
http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/1954/…
I host a game night every Tuesday evening at my house & have no dog in the fight of, eggs vs. flax in regards to baking. Each have differing nutritional qualities. I volunteer to run Raku's suggested cold test - IE, a half & half recipe where half is made w/ eggs, & half flaxseed, & report back. Not gonna be able to make anything that *needs* eggs for texture, like a clafoutis, but a regular cake or cupcakes. Hmm, must browse recipes.
Also, IDK anything about Ms./Mr. Raku's normal tone, but, telling people their baking tastes eggy, like that's a bad thing, comes off pushy. That meme from FB = "How do you know someone is a vegan?" "Don't worry, they'll fucking tell you."
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9007/ca…
http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/1954/…
I host a game night every Tuesday evening at my house & have no dog in the fight of, eggs vs. flax in regards to baking. Each have differing nutritional qualities. I volunteer to run Raku's suggested cold test - IE, a half & half recipe where half is made w/ eggs, & half flaxseed, & report back. Not gonna be able to make anything that *needs* eggs for texture, like a clafoutis, but a regular cake or cupcakes. Hmm, must browse recipes.
Also, IDK anything about Ms./Mr. Raku's normal tone, but, telling people their baking tastes eggy, like that's a bad thing, comes off pushy. That meme from FB = "How do you know someone is a vegan?" "Don't worry, they'll fucking tell you."
100
@81: (Freud, someone hath need of thee!) - I read that as "Perhaps we can all urinate over repulsive gluten-free baking?" And almost applauded.
Raku, I respect your decision to be vegan. I don't respect the sanctimony and disinformation that you attach to it. It's very unlikely that you and I will ever dine at the same table, not because I consume animal products and you don't, but because you strike me as an annoying, extremist exemplar of veganism the likes of which Rush Limbaugh could only come up with in his Oxycontin-fueled fever dreams - and I have better people to spend my time with.
(And seriously - "rage-murder"? Nice bit of passive-aggressive there. As one or two of my Texan friends used to put it, "Ignore it. Ain't worth killin'.")
Raku, I respect your decision to be vegan. I don't respect the sanctimony and disinformation that you attach to it. It's very unlikely that you and I will ever dine at the same table, not because I consume animal products and you don't, but because you strike me as an annoying, extremist exemplar of veganism the likes of which Rush Limbaugh could only come up with in his Oxycontin-fueled fever dreams - and I have better people to spend my time with.
(And seriously - "rage-murder"? Nice bit of passive-aggressive there. As one or two of my Texan friends used to put it, "Ignore it. Ain't worth killin'.")
101
@ 95 - I have not, Matt. Nor do I intend to. That seems, at least to me, like entirely too much effort to exert on the topic of putting flax in baked goods.
On an unrelated note, I made Eggplant "Parmesan" (I always use goat cheese rather than Parmesan cheese) for dinner tonight. Rather than my usual two eggs, I used one egg and one flax egg. It came out great.
Even if I assume that Raku is a sanctimonious ass bent on ruining every meal any of the rest of us ever eat, good ideas can come from anywhere. And sure, there are places that flax eggs will never do the trick (beating egg whites to a stiff peak, anyone?). But where they work, they work. And I just don't see a reason to get upset over that just because the source of the suggestion rubs you the wrong way.
On an unrelated note, I made Eggplant "Parmesan" (I always use goat cheese rather than Parmesan cheese) for dinner tonight. Rather than my usual two eggs, I used one egg and one flax egg. It came out great.
Even if I assume that Raku is a sanctimonious ass bent on ruining every meal any of the rest of us ever eat, good ideas can come from anywhere. And sure, there are places that flax eggs will never do the trick (beating egg whites to a stiff peak, anyone?). But where they work, they work. And I just don't see a reason to get upset over that just because the source of the suggestion rubs you the wrong way.
102
What a lovely gesture, Dan. That cake looks delish! And you obviously are an excellent neighbor. Please move to Southern Maryland.
Also thanks to Raku for the flax suggestion and to Ferret for the applesauce suggestion. I'm allergic to eggs so any substitues are great (although I don't bake much anyways).
Also thanks to Raku for the flax suggestion and to Ferret for the applesauce suggestion. I'm allergic to eggs so any substitues are great (although I don't bake much anyways).
105
@ 101, you don't have to assume anything. You can read and be knowledgeable. And if you need substitution ideas, there's a whole internet out there with them.
I have no issue with raku's suggestion, just her motives and the lies she resorts to telling to advance her agenda. A good idea does not excuse that.
I have no issue with raku's suggestion, just her motives and the lies she resorts to telling to advance her agenda. A good idea does not excuse that.
106
My favorite of Raku's many stupid statements was when she said that artificial impregnation of animals is the same as humans getting raped.
Oddly enough, the regular outspoken feminists were silent on that particular instance of rape culture.
Oddly enough, the regular outspoken feminists were silent on that particular instance of rape culture.
107
@101, you continue to miss the point. People aren't pissed because you can use flax as an egg substitute; on the contrary, that's good to know. People are pissed because Raku was being an asshole and telling people they should never use eggs. Also, what @105 said.
108
@48 "I didn't use butter to grease the pan. I used lube."
Any suggestions there?
Most of the water-based lubes I've tried seem to dry out before I am done baking and silicone is incompatible with some of my kitchen implements.
Any suggestions there?
Most of the water-based lubes I've tried seem to dry out before I am done baking and silicone is incompatible with some of my kitchen implements.
109
@90 helloooo, it was, like, a joke, duckie. [mixing valley girl & camp gurl, vamp?]
Sheesh. Of course being gay is not like being vegan. Sloggers just take everything sooo PC-seriously, including Raku in her follow ups, it's enough to make me consider joining the tea party. Not.
@96 & baking recipes -- lard used to be really common in baked goods, and tasty too, definitely not a distinct meat taste (usually from cows I think?). These days I still find it in ingredients, mostly in imported packaged cakes and cookies.
Sheesh. Of course being gay is not like being vegan. Sloggers just take everything sooo PC-seriously, including Raku in her follow ups, it's enough to make me consider joining the tea party. Not.
@96 & baking recipes -- lard used to be really common in baked goods, and tasty too, definitely not a distinct meat taste (usually from cows I think?). These days I still find it in ingredients, mostly in imported packaged cakes and cookies.
110
You ever notice that you open a container of flaxseeds and it smells like an art studio? That's because flaxseed oil is the same thing as the linseed oil which is used as a base in most oil paints. Also, linoleum? Totally called that because it was made from solidified linseed oil.
Who wants their food to taste like a painting or a flooring material?
(I kid. I've got nothing against flax. I kind of dig that in hot water it turns into this weird glutinous substance, and that it smells like you're eating paint.)
Who wants their food to taste like a painting or a flooring material?
(I kid. I've got nothing against flax. I kind of dig that in hot water it turns into this weird glutinous substance, and that it smells like you're eating paint.)
111
You know that ingredient you insert into every conversation without even thinking about it anymore? (Maybe it's just become 'tradition' for you in your impaired state of awareness.) You know, the sanctimonious assholery? Yeah, you know you can replace that with ground flax, right? Or eggs. Or anything that isn't assholery. It's really easier than you think!.
And you won't just not notice the difference; you'll notice that everything tastes better!
I'm a former militant vegetarian, and I have little patience with my former self, or anyone resembling him. I'm still mostly vegetarian, but this comment thread just made me eat scrambled eggs and bacon. I had no choice.
PS: Nice bundt cake, Dan.
And you won't just not notice the difference; you'll notice that everything tastes better!
I'm a former militant vegetarian, and I have little patience with my former self, or anyone resembling him. I'm still mostly vegetarian, but this comment thread just made me eat scrambled eggs and bacon. I had no choice.
PS: Nice bundt cake, Dan.
112
Kurt Vonnegut described evangelical vegans as dragging themselves through society like gutshot bears.
I'm pretty sure it was vegans.
I'm pretty sure it was vegans.
114
@87: Egg yolks are not an essential ingredient in ice cream. Any store-bought ice cream with egg on the ingredient list is basically using it as an additive/stabilizer.
Egg yolks are an essential ingredient in frozen custard.
Far be it from me to defend Raku, but this particular tidbit happens to be correct. Seriously, just look it up!
Egg yolks are an essential ingredient in frozen custard.
Far be it from me to defend Raku, but this particular tidbit happens to be correct. Seriously, just look it up!
116
@115: They're not common outside of store-bought, pre-packaged versions.
Eggs are an ingredient in custard; in ice cream they're merely a thickener and an emulsifier. An additive, like carrageenan.
What's difficult about this?
Eggs are an ingredient in custard; in ice cream they're merely a thickener and an emulsifier. An additive, like carrageenan.
What's difficult about this?
117
Egg yolks are not an essential ingredient, but they make ice cream velvety and rich. Just like cream is not an essential ingredient in ice cream. But, as someone who eats non-dairy ice cream, cream is essential if you want it to be really fucking good. And egg yolks help it get there, too.
119
@109. missed the joke. hadn't read your comment history, and it's hard to judge sarcasm on these things. with everything else thrown out in this thread, it wasn't too far of a leap that some would be that deranged. nothing against you.
also, i use lard frequently in my baking, and am a big fan.
also, i use lard frequently in my baking, and am a big fan.
121
I love anything having to do with bundt cakes. I have an avocado bundt cake pan from the 70's that always makes me smile.
122
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